


Burning Gold

by perfectlyrose



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Bisexual Character, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Pirates, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-21 10:12:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4825019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectlyrose/pseuds/perfectlyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose felt trapped in her life in a port town and longed to be on the open sea. She takes the chance of a lifetime and sets out on her own. Life at sea holds many surprises for her: piracy, friendships, and maybe even love. (Nine/Rose Pirate AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Liberation

**Author's Note:**

> I've been playing with this idea for ages and for whatever reason, no one seems to write Nine/Rose Pirate AUs so...here I am with my contribution to my campaign for #morepirates2k15
> 
> Thanks to the wonderful asthewheelwills/fardareismai for encouraging this months and months ago and as I started actually writing this.

Rose dreamed of the sea. It was in her soul, in her blood, its call resonated in her bones every second of her existence. One day, she swore, one day she would be out on the open sea, out among the waves, and finally feel at home.

Her mother told her that it was naught more than foolish fancy. The seas were dangerous, filled with pirates and merchants that were more concerned with profit than they were with the safety of their crew or passengers, she said. Better to stay on land and in port and take the sailors’ money than to go searching for trouble.

Jackie Tyler voiced this opinion often and loudly and patrons of her tavern knew it well, just as they knew Rose’s dreams. No one dared argue with her, Jackie ran a tight ship for all she’d never stepped foot on a seafaring vessel in her life. There was never any trouble in her place. The locals had all seen her slap and verbally eviscerate those who had tried to stir up mischief and they passed the warnings onto the seamen who made port in their humble town of Powell.

Rose was Jackie’s only child and she worked the tavern alongside her mother but whenever she could escape she ran down to the water. In stolen moments and days on the docks Rose learned as much about ships and sailing as anyone would teach a girl with an avid interest and the ability to give them a free pint at Jackie’s.

She carefully memorized the precious bits of information handed down to her and learned that the sailors were free with their tongues if they thought she wasn’t listening so she learned to be invisible. She started taking her mending down to the docks and offering to do mending for the sailors for a nominal fee. Men seemed to think she couldn’t listen and sew at the same time so she learned all the tricks and talk no one would consent to teach her because of her gender.

Years passed in this fashion. Rose worked and learned and dreamed of the day she could escape to the ocean.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“Rose, Mickey was here earlier to see you,” Jackie called as soon as Rose stepped inside the mostly empty tavern. It was early afternoon and there weren’t many ships in port as Rose had found out that morning which accounted for the lack of sailors sitting around the tavern spending money.

“That’s great, I saw him yesterday though. Don’t know what he could’ve wanted,” Rose answered, snagging her apron and tying it on.

“You know very well what he wanted,” Jackie chastised, giving Rose a look.

Rose rolled her eyes and went to go check on the men in the corner of the tavern who seemed intent on drinking themselves blind. Mickey was the apprentice to the town carpenter and she’d known him since they were children. It was no secret to anyone with eyes that he fancied her and the locals all knew he had asked her to marry him multiple times in the last year. She’d turned him down every time, trying to make it clear that she just wanted to be his friend, not his wife. She was in no way ready to marry anyone and she told him that but he kept pushing.

“Mum, you know I don’t want to marry him,” Rose said when she came back with the men’s tankards to refill.

“You should take his offers more seriously, Rose, that’s all I’m sayin’. You’re not getting any younger and there’s not a surplus of reliable young men in this town, you know.”

“You mean boring young men,” Rose shot back. “I love Mickey, mum, I do. But he’s more like a brother to me than anything else and I don’t want to marry him. It wouldn’t be fair to him or me.”

“But he wants you, Rose! He’s crazy about you. Just give him a chance,” Jackie wheedled.

“No, that’d just get his hopes up and I don’t want to do that when I have no intentions of fulfilling them.”

“It’s not like you have others linin’ up to make you any offers. You need to marry and settle down. You can’t keep dreamin’ about going to sea when it’s never going to happen!” Jackie snapped, frustration rising to the surface. “You have to wake up and realize that you’re letting the best offer you’re gonna get slip through your fingers!”

Rose felt her face flushing in anger. She pulled ale from the kegs in jerky motions and headed back to serve their patrons without saying another word to her mother. She knew if she opened her mouth she would start screaming and that was never good for business.

The two Tyler women worked in silence for the rest of the night except for passing along orders, both still fuming. The patrons could sense the tense atmosphere and were on their best behavior, cowed by seeing a scowl on Rose’s face where they usually found a lively smile.

It was an hour to close when Rose found herself in the kitchen washing dishes and rehashing the argument with her mother in her head for the twentieth time. The best offer she was going to get, Jackie claimed. Well if Mickey and his eventual carpentry business was the best this town could offer her, Rose thought, maybe it was time to see what the rest of the world had for her.

It was time to leave Powell.

She finished up her work and waited for her mum to come back to the kitchen. When she did, Rose walked up and wrapped her in a hug.

“Sorry, mum, I know you just want what’s best for me,” she mumbled into Jackie’s shoulder.

“Oh sweetheart, it’s okay. I want you to be happy and not have to work your fingers to the bone to keep you and yours fed like I did when your father died. I worry about you and Mickey would take care of you.” Jackie answered, stroking her daughter’s hair.

Rose pulled back, keeping her hands on Jackie’s arms. “I don’t think I’m ready to get married though and definitely not to Mickey.”

“I’m not going to force you to do anything, Rose. You know I love having you here in the tavern to help.”

Rose felt a pang of guilt go through her at the amount of work her mum would have when she left but it felt like the best course of action. She could see her life unfolding before her if she stayed in Powell. She’d be waiting tables and serving beer for the rest of her life, would probably marry Mickey within a year and be expected to start popping out babies. All the while she would be slowly suffocating, still dreaming of the sea and sights unseen that were out of her reach.

It sounded like a fate worse than death.

She pulled Jackie back into a hug. “I love you,” she said.

“I love you, too,” Jackie said, bewildered. “What brought this on?”

“Just don’t like arguing with you,” Rose deflected as she took a step back. “I’m gonna head up to bed unless you need me for something.”

“No, go on. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, turning back to the tidying she had come into the kitchen to finish.

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat and climbed the stairs to their living quarters. She packed a bag with her practical clothing, the knife that had been her father’s, and some jewelry she wasn’t sentimentally attached to that would fetch a good price at market in another port. Rose gathered up the money she’d saved from mending clothes on the dock and set it out. She’d leave it for her mum in exchange for the food she was going to take with her.

She blew out her candle and lay motionless in bed until she heard Jackie close the door to her own room. As quietly as she could, Rose got to her feet and shouldered her satchel. She grabbed the money and the note she’d written and left it on the kitchen table before taking as much food as her meagre amount of cash could afford, focusing on things that wouldn’t go bad quickly.

The town was pitch black as Rose made her way to the docks. She could hear people still yelling down at the tavern on the other end of town that catered to the less well-behaved clientele that came into port but other than that, there was no sound except for the waves softly lapping at the sides of ships.

She smiled as she found the small ship the men at the dock had been talking about that morning. It was a tiny thing but sturdily built and meant to be handled by a single person. The man who had sailed it into port had been immediately arrested on suspicion of piracy so no one would mind overly much if Rose liberated it.

She had half an hour before the tide would be right to take her out to sea so Rose set to work quickly, getting the sails and ropes prepared. It wasn’t long before she untied her new ship from the dock and felt the waves taking her out to open water.

Rose took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air and felt her heart soar. This was really happening, she was taking fate into her own hands and leaving her stagnant life behind. She was free.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

John swore when he made it to the slip where he’d left his ship a couple hours before sunrise and found it gone. He needed to get out of Powell before someone realized he’d escaped custody. The constable had heard exaggerated tales of him and didn’t take kindly to John’s method of redistributing wealth wherever he went so he’d slapped him with an overblown charge of piracy.

He supposed he looked the part when he sailed in with his leather jacket and ship full of supplies but he’d legally obtained the supplies. Well, most of them. The constable had taken all the food and merchandise but John had fared worse. As long as he had his jacket, he could leave anywhere at a moment’s notice and they hadn’t thought to take it from him.

John needed to disappear for a while, figure out a better way of going about his business but he couldn’t do that without a bloody boat! Cursing under his breath, he scoured the docks until he found another ship that could be manned by a single sailor and hopped aboard, immediately readying it to set sail. Looked like he was going to be a pirate after all.

He wrote a note to the owner, apologizing and left it on the dock.

He was long gone and sailing into the sunrise by the time it was read.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

To whoever owns the missing boat --

I’m sorry I commandeered your ship. Mine was stolen before I made it to the dock and I couldn’t wait around to see if they’d bring it back. If I ever come back to Powell I pledge to pay you back double the worth of this ship for your troubles.

Until then,

The Doctor

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Mum --

I’m sorry to leave like a thief in the middle of the night but I knew you wouldn’t let me go if I told you. I can’t stay here and marry Mickey and keep working in the tavern for the rest of my life. It would kill me. I need to see the world and feel the ocean breeze on my face and know what it’s like to be on the water with no land in sight. I know you’ve never understood my need to be at sea but this is something I have to do. It’s what makes me happy. If I could stay in Powell with you and still be happy I would, but I can’t.

 I promise I’ll write and send money if I can. Please know that I love you dearly and didn’t do this to hurt you. I just have to see for myself if the world and the sea can give me a better offer than being the carpenter’s wife. Please understand.

I love you,

Rose

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rose was out on the open sea with no land in sight when the sunrise burst over the horizon. She watched as the sun climbed over the starboard railing, painting the sky shades of gold and pink and signaling the beginning of her new life.

She finally felt like she was home.


	2. Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose makes an new friend and a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after more than three months I'm back with an update! Sorry for the delay, hit a wicked case of writer's block in regards to this fic but...I'm back! Happy Boxing Day!  
> Shoutout to fardareismai for inadvertently inspiring this chapter's character dynamics and for generally making this fic possible by encouraging me to think about/write it way back when.  
> Also, no John this chapter but we'll check back in with him soon.

The sea was almost everything Rose dreamed it would be. It was windswept, sunburned, salt-encrusted freedom and she loved it. There had been a lot to learn and much of it had been made up on the fly when she ran headlong into a problem but even those terrifying moments were exhilarating. She had learned how to best predict the mercurial moods of the ocean and react to them and she wore her newfound confidence like a crown and let it sink into her bones.

She made port in Leadworth nine weeks after leaving Powell. Bypassing the gossiping sailors on the dock and their leers, Rose sauntered into town. Her jewelry was gone after her last few stops at port and she needed to find some temporary work to replenish her funds. Leadworth was a fairly respectable port of middling size and she was sure that she could sweet-talk her way into serving drinks somewhere since she had experience.

Rose made her way into a pub near the docks aptly named _The Rose & Crown_. It was crowded with sailors and townsfolk and louder even than Jackie’s place had been. She pushed her way through the people, making a path for herself with a few well-placed elbows and found room to stand at the end of the polished bar.

She was only waiting a few minutes when the short brunette in a low-cut crimson dress approached her with a smile. “How can I help you?”

“Looking for a job, thought you could use an extra pair of hands around here for a few days,” Rose answered, flashing a smile of her own.

The bartender looked her up and down. “You have the looks, got any experience?”

“My mum owns a pub, grew up waiting tables and serving drinks,” Rose answered easily.

“Great, you’re hired. Do you have a dress or do you need to borrow one?”

Rose mentally reviewed the clothes she had on her ship and barely refrained from wincing. “If you want me to start now I’ll need to borrow one.”

She looked Rose over again, this time sizing her up. “I have a dress that I haven’t hemmed up yet that should fit alright. I live above the pub, just go up and try on the blue dress that’s hanging on the wardrobe.”

Rose agreed and stepped behind the bar to make her way to the stairs. She was almost to the kitchen door when she turned back around and yelled after the brunette. “I never got your name!”

“My name’s Clara and I own this fine establishment,” she answered with a wink. “Now, go get changed.”

Rose took advantage of Clara’s wash station to clean her face and sweep her hair up off her neck in a style similar to the proprietor’s. Once that was accomplished she stripped off her breeches and shirt and wiggled her way into the blue dress. It was a little tight and about an inch short but it was good enough. She stole one last look in the mirror and headed back downstairs to get to work.

Clara immediately made use of her, sending her to deliver drinks and take orders. Rose slipped back into old habits seamlessly. The same sailors who had leered at her on the docks turned the same gaze on her in the pub without ever realizing she was the same person. She flirted and smiled and pocketed the tips she earned as she slipped through the crowded bar, tankards balanced on her tray.

She heard the small town gossip mixed in with talk of the best trading routes in the northern waters and let it all wash over her, listening for any tidbits that might benefit her when she left Leadworth. She was still sailing north so any information about what to expect was welcome.

By the time the crowd started to clear and Clara started shooing people out the door, Rose was exhausted. Her smile was still intact but her back and feet were complaining after a full night of work they’d grown accustomed to not doing. Sailing her ship alone was hard work but it required different muscles than being a barmaid called for.

As soon as the last drunken sailor was out of the pub, Rose collapsed into one of the chairs by the fire with a sigh. Clara appeared a few minutes later, two steaming mugs of tea in hand. She handed one to Rose and took a seat in the opposite chair.

Rose murmured her thanks and took a sip.

“I never asked for your name,” Clara said offhand after a few minutes of them sitting and drinking their tea in silence. “Hired you on the spot but never asked who I was hiring.”

“My name’s Rose Tyler.”

“It’s about time I had a Rose working her,” the owner said with a cheeky wink as she sunk back into her chair. “You did well tonight. People usually have a hard time keeping up with a crowd as big as we had tonight.”

Rose shrugged. “It was a bit bigger than what I’m used to but the work’s the same.”

“I’m lucky you came in. The girl who usually works for me ran off last week with a sailor and I haven’t found anyone local who’s competent enough to hire.”

“I’m just glad you were hiring. Need enough money to buy supplies and to send a letter back home to my mum so she doesn’t worry too much.” Rose bit the inside of her cheek. She worried about her mum too, but all she could do was send letters whenever she made port and hope everything was fine. There was no way she was turning around and going back to Powell, not when she was finally on the adventure she’d been dreaming of her whole life.

“How long are you planning on staying here? Most sailors don’t stick around long.”

Rose gave Clara a long look. The owner of _The Rose & Crown_ was sharp and she had a feeling Clara saw way more than her patrons wanted her to or realized.

“That obvious that I’m a sailor?” she said after a moments pause.

Clara shrugged. “Fairly obvious.”

“Well, I’m sailing my own ship so my time’s my own,” Rose explained. “I don’t plan on staying longer than a fortnight if I can help it though. Your place here is nice but I left to see if I could do something besides delivering drinks to sailors.”

Clara nodded. “No, that’s fine. A few days of you helping out with the evening and night rush will be invaluable. Just try to give me a day’s notice before you leave and we’re good. We can settle up with wages at the end of the night.”

“Thanks, Clara,” Rose said warmly with a heartfelt smile. “I’m so glad I wandered into your pub tonight.”

“Me too,” she said, returning the smile. “Now it’s time to go do dishes and get to bed though. Do you need a place to sleep or are you going to sleep on your ship?”

“I’ll just sleep on my ship, don’t want to put anyone out.”

Clara shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

They worked their way through the dishes the kitchen staff had left unwashed, talking easily about some of their experiences while serving sailors and notable stories of small-town gossip run rampant. Once everything was finished, Rose slipped back up to Clara’s room to change back into her own clothes.

“You can keep wearing that as long as you work here. I’m assuming you didn’t bring your dresses with you when you ran away,” Clara commented from the doorway.

Rose jumped, not having heard her come up the stairs. “Who said I ran away?”

“Just a guess. Am I right?”

“Yeah, on both counts. Don’t really have a dress that’s suitable for waiting tables with me.”

“Just come in early to get changed. I’ll ask around and see if anyone has a dress that’ll fit better that they’re willing to let you borrow for a bit,” Clara said as she moved towards the mirror to start pulling pins out of her hair.

“I’m a dab hand with mending so I can repay the loan of a dress with that if anyone needs it,” Rose offered with a half shrug. It wasn’t much but some people couldn’t do anything but make hopeless knots with a needle and thread so perhaps her skills could be of service.

“Good to know.” Clara glanced over her shoulder and smiled at the blonde, twinkle in her eyes. “Now, unless you want to be here when I get out of this dress you should probably get back to your ship. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rose felt her cheeks heat the slightest bit and called out a goodbye as she turned and headed for the stairs, Clara’s tinkling laughter following her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next few days followed the same pattern. Rose grew more comfortable around Clara and before long they were bantering and teasing like they’d known each other their entire lives. The patrons at _The Rose & Crown_ started talking more freely around Rose as well as she became a more familiar face.

Day five of working for her, Rose asked Clara over their nightly cup of tea if it would be alright if she told her mum she could write back to this address and Rose would pick up the letters when she came through next.

“Planning on coming back then? Someone might think you like my company.” Clara’s smile was cheeky and a tiny bit wicked and Rose laughed.

“I _do_ like your company, you plonker,” she nudged Clara’s leg with her foot and then adopted her most dramatic voice, placing a hand over her heart. “Unfortunately, my heart belongs to the sea and I cannot stay with you without languishing away for my true love.”

“Please never decide to try your hand at acting,” Clara said dryly.

“Really though, Clara, it’s been really great staying here for a few days,” Rose said earnestly. “I love being out on the water but it was getting lonely.” She leaned forward to put her hand on Clara’s knee. “It’s been truly wonderful having a friend again.”

Clara’s eyes flickered between Rose’s hand and her face before she gave the blonde a small smile. “Of course your mother can write here,” she assured her. “I’ll save any letters for you and you better come back and get them.”

The playful admonishment seemed off somehow but Rose thanked her profusely and they moved to go take care of the dishes. Rose couldn’t help but notice that Clara was a little more subdued than normal and wondered why her smiles were tinged with sadness.

The next day things were back to normal and Rose put the odd tension out of her mind, throwing herself into her work. There was an energy in the pub that night that was different than the other nights. The sailors were practically buzzing as they downed their beers.

Rose casually approached one of the tables and started digging for information by flirting with the tipsy men. It was almost too easy since the men had been at sea for a month and were willing to tell her anything as long as she lingered at their table and batted her eyelashes a few times.

And the information they had made Rose’s head buzz too.

They had stories of the rich merchant vessels that sailed these waters coming to nearby ports without their cargo and with wild tales. They had stories of pirates.

Rose’s heart was racing as she returned to the bar. As the night went on and she heard more and more of pirates and Rose realized the emotion she was feeling wasn’t fear. She was intrigued more than anything else. Growing up in a port town had given her a healthy respect for pirates. They were always rough around the edges as sailors were but they also tipped well and almost never had to be kicked out of Jackie’s. The sailors on merchant ships spoke with fear and it was well deserved, pirates were ruthless people after all and Jackie had never skimped on her warnings about pirates when she thought Rose was lingering at their tables for too long.

Rose just kept gathering information throughout her shift though, and as she did her smile kept growing until it was almost feral -- eyes flashing as she considered the opportunity presenting itself.

Apparently, _The Red Lady_ was due to dock in Leadworth in two days, having an understanding of sorts with the town and its residents, and her captain would be looking for new crew members.

Rose had learned about as much as she could from sailing her small vessel on her own. She needed to be around seasoned sailors and on a bigger ship if she was going to become the sailor she wanted to be. Most merchant ships wouldn’t take a woman onto the crew, considering them bad luck and at least half the pirate ships held to that same superstition.

Not the captain of _The Red Lady_ though. No, this pirate ship was something of a novelty. She was captained by the infamous Amelia Pond, arguably the most notorious and well-known female pirates to ever live. Over half the crew was also women and that scared the merchants as much as the fact that they were pirates did.

When _The Red Lady_ sailed into port, Rose was going to apply to Captain Pond to become a new member of her crew.

If they’d have her, Rose was going to be a pirate.


	3. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose makes an impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *coughs* yes hi, this fic is still a thing. sorry for not updating for a year :/  
> but i'm BACK and still really excited about my pirate children. I hope you are too and that you enjoy this new installment! There's finally a pirate in the pirate fic!
> 
> (also please remember that this IS a nine/rose fic and I promise that's where this is heading. we're just on a winding road to get there.)

Rose walked into _The Rose & Crown _ a full hour before her shift was due to start, hoping to catch Clara before the tavern started to get crowded. The tavern owner was behind the bar, wearing the crimson dress Rose had first seen her in and wiping out some mugs, readying them for the looming evening rush.

“Hey Clara,” Rose said, letting herself back behind the bar.

“Rose!” she exclaimed with a bright smile, spinning around to face the blonde. “You’re here early.”

“Do you have a minute to talk?”

Clara peered around Rose and gestured at the nearly empty tavern. “Looks like it. Kitchen?”

“That’ll work,” Rose said with a nod. She followed the other woman into the back room and watched as Clara sent the cook out to mind the bar for a few minutes.

“Joan’s hopeless as a bartender,” Clara said with a sad shake of her head as she watched her go. “But what’s going on with you?”

“I’ll try to make this quick,” Rose promised, knowing Clara didn’t particularly like leaving the bar in less than skilled hands.

“It’s fine, it’s not like she’s going to have to do more than pull a couple ales at the most.”

“Still, people will miss your smiling face out there,” Rose teased, sitting down on one of the stools around the large kitchen table. She hadn’t changed into a dress for her shift yet so she was still in a blouse, trousers, and boots and she felt a little shabby next to Clara.

“What’s on your mind, Rose?” Clara asked softly. Her hand twitched upwards like she was going to reach out but stopped herself.

“Wanted to give you more than a day’s notice that I might be leaving,” she said.

“Heading out already?” Rose knew she wasn’t imagining the disappointment in Clara’s voice.

“Last night I heard some of the customers talking about _The Red Lady_ docking here tomorrow and there are rumors that the captain is looking for new crew members.”

“And you’re going to apply.” It wasn’t a question.

“Being on the crew of a ship is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life, Clara. I started out on my own because that’s the only way I could get out but this is my _chance_.” She was begging her new friend to understand.

“But pirates, Rose? Are you sure?”

“Most merchant ships won’t take women on as crew members,” Rose said with a disgusted curl of her lips. “For one, they think we’re too _delicate_ to handle the work and then on top of that, somehow we’re considered bad luck and I don’t fancy disguising myself as a bloke just to do what I want. So, yeah, I’m sure.”

Clara bit down on her bottom lip, looking past Rose for a moment, gathering herself. When she made eye contact again there was a determined look on her face. This time, when her hand moved upwards she didn’t stop it until it was cupping Rose’s cheek.

She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Rose’s lips, lingering for just a moment before pulling back.

“Clara…”

Clara took a step back and shook her head. “No, I know. I just couldn’t let you go off and become a pirate without kissing you at least once.”

Rose couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face. “That a new rule of yours?”

“Absolutely,” Clara answered, cracking a smile of her own. “We okay?”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod.

“I’m going to go put Joan out of her misery and let her come back to the kitchen. Let me know before you leave town?”

“Of course,” Rose promised. “And I’ve heard that _The Red Lady_ is here often so I’ll be coming back to visit whenever I’m in port.”

“Good.” Clara started walking towards the door, only pausing when Rose called out her name again.

“It’s not that I don’t like you, because I do,” Rose started to say, feeling compelled to explain herself before they could completely put all of this behind them. “I just-”

“Rose,” Clara cut in, “I know. Don’t worry about it. Really. I could tell you weren’t joking about your heart belonging to the sea the other night even if you were being ridiculous.”

Rose bit her lip, nodding. “Okay then. I’m just gonna go get changed for work. I’ll be out in a bit.”

Clara smiled and disappeared back into the tavern. As Rose changed into her borrowed dress in Clara’s quarters, she kept turning the situation over and over in her head. She was glad things weren’t going to be weird with Clara but she couldn’t help wondering what would have happened if she’d kissed Clara back.

Rose thought that maybe if she’d met Clara at another time, she might have fallen in love with the woman. There was an undeniable connection there but the truth remained that this wasn’t a good time for her. She wasn’t looking for a relationship and it wouldn’t be fair to anyone to pretend otherwise, least of all Clara. She needed someone who could give her all the attention and devotion that she deserved, and that couldn’t be her right now.

It was no use worrying about it though. She had a good friend in Clara, even after only knowing her for a short time, and she was going to focus on that and treasure it for as long as she could. With that thought, she smoothed down her hair and went downstairs to start working.

The tavern was busy that night and there was no time for either woman to even think about what had passed between them earlier. Rose gathered more intel on the pirate ship she was set on joining as she served drinks, filing it away to ponder over later when she wasn’t surrounded by boisterous sailors and townfolk.

By the time Clara ushered the last patron out of the tavern, they were both ready to collapse. They didn’t even bother to make tea as they sank down in the chairs by the dying fire.

“You going to be in tomorrow night?” Clara asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“If I can be. If things change I’ll swing by and let you know,” Rose said.

They lapsed back into silence until Rose drug herself to her feet saying she needed to change clothes and get back to her ship.

Clara gave her a quick hug before she walked out of the tavern and then Rose was back on her way to her current home aboard her small ship, mind racing with all the possibilities ahead of her if she could secure a place on _The Red Lady_. She needed to write a letter to her mum tonight, letting her know that she was leaving Leadworth and didn’t know when she’d be back to pick up any letters she might send but that she could still send them care of Clara Oswald at _The Rose and Crown._

There was no way she was going to mention potentially joining the crew of a pirate ship to Jackie but she could could talk her way around it, just saying that she was heading back out to sea as part of an actual crew this time.

When that task was finished and the envelope was sealed with half of Rose’s wages from _The Rose & Crown _ inside, she set about packing her bag and sharpening her knife. She wanted to be ready to leave as soon as she had her answer from Captain Pond about joining the crew.

Rose barely got any sleep that night and was awake to see the sun kiss the waves good morning and paint their foamy tips gold. There was an itch under her skin that was urging her to _go_ , to get back on the open water.

She grinned, sharp and wide, at the far horizon and then turned back towards the town to go finish her errands while waiting for _The Red Lady_ to make port.

Rose had just posted her letter to her mother when she heard people start talking about getting back to their shops because a big ship had just sailed into port and they wanted to be ready to do business when the crew disembarked. She hurried through the last couple of errands she had before flying towards a tavern a few streets over from Clara’s that Captain Amelia Pond was known to frequent when she was in town. Apparently that was the best place to petition for a place on her crew, according to the rumors that Rose had heard.

She stepped into the darkened tavern and looked for an open seat. The place was already crowded even though it was still early afternoon and appeared to attract a rougher clientele than _The Rose & Crown_. Rose slid onto a stool at the end of the bar and surreptitiously checked to make sure her knife was loose in its sheath on her hip. She didn’t like the way some of the patrons had eyed her as she’d walked through the crowd.

Rose ordered an ale and settled down to wait, pointedly ignoring the people around her. Her glass was half empty when a hulking figure sidled up to her stool, leaning against the bar next to her.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” the man said, breath sickly sweet with the smell of liquor hitting Rose square in the face.

She recoiled.

“Now don’t be like that,” he said with a laugh, inching closer. “I came over to see how much it would cost to spend the night with you.”

Rose snorted. “Not a question you want to be asking me, mate. I’m no doxy.”

The man leered at her, taking in her breeches and blouse. “Sure you are. Now, name your price or I’m going to assume you’re free.”

“You really don’t want to go there,” she warned, a note of finality in her voice as she started moving her hand towards the knife on the hip opposite her unwanted companion.

“What are you going to do about it?”

The man reached out and grabbed Rose’s wrist, trying to pull her closer. Rose twisted her hand in his grasp to get a hold on his wrist and used the leverage and her whole body weight to push him backwards into a nearby support beam, pulling her knife out and twisting his arm as she went. By the time he slammed into the beam, the steel was cutting lightly into his throat and Rose’s teeth were bared in a feral snarl.

“This is what I’m going to do about it, you absolute piece of shit. Maybe you should listen when someone says no,” she said, voice dripping with disdain.

“You really should,” a lilting, accented voice cut in from Rose’s left. “The next person might not be as discerning on how deep she cuts.”

Rose looked over and saw a tall ginger woman taking in the scene, hand resting easily on the hilt of a sword in a clear threat.

Rose removed her knife from the man’s throat and wiped the drops of blood off on his shirt before taking a step back and sheathing her weapon. “You should leave before I change my mind on how deep I want to cut you,” she said.

The man’s eyes shifted rapidly between Rose and the ginger a few times before taking off towards the door. Rose watched him go and then turned her gaze to the redhead who was watching her with a speculative gleam in her eye.

“Seems this place has taken a turn for the worse since the last time I was here. Got any recommendations for another place to get a good drink?” she asked Rose.

“The Rose & Crown is great and not too far away,” Rose offered, knowing Clara would enjoy having some business during the normal afternoon lull.

“Perfect, lead the way. I have an opportunity to talk to you about, if you’re interested.”

Rose raised an eyebrow at the stranger, quickly taking in her well-worn and well-tailored trousers and the battered boots. The outfit put together with the sword and the hair led her to one conclusion.

“You wouldn’t happen to be Captain Pond, would you?”

“The one and only,” the redhead answered with a flip of her hair. “Why?”

Rose’s smile was much less feral than the one she’d aimed at her attacker, making the pirate do a double-take at the change. “I was hoping to find you here.”

“Quite an introduction you made, blondie,” she said. “Why don’t we talk about why you were looking for me while we go somewhere a little less… volatile.”

Rose nodded and followed the captain towards the door of the tavern.

“I didn’t get your name,” Captain Pond said as they stepped outside.

“Rose. Rose Tyler.”

“Good name. Most people call me Amy,” she said with a smile of her own as she gestured for Rose to start leading them towards _The Rose & Crown_.  “Now, you seem to be good with a knife and I like that in a woman. Do you have any immediate plans for the future?”

By the time they reached the threshold of Clara’s tavern, Rose had secured a place on Amy’s crew aboard _The Red Lady_. It had been easier than anticipated. Amy had been impressed with her reaction at the other tavern and her quickness with a blade. Add in Rose’s obvious love of the sea, discovered on the walk to _The Rose and Crown,_ and it was a done deal in Amy’s eyes.

The smile Rose flashed Clara as she stepped into the tavern with Amy on her heels was practically blinding. It was official -- Rose Tyler was a pirate and would be sailing out as one for the first time in the morning.

She couldn’t wait.


	4. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose embarks on a new adventure and we check back in with the Doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to fardareismai/asthewheelwills for inspiring much of the interlude with the Doctor and also for being so super supportive.

Amy laughed when Rose excused herself from drinking with her to go change into a dress and work the tavern with Clara.

“You would recommend the tavern you work at,” the ginger teased.

“Wasn’t a biased recommendation though, now was it?” Rose shot back, already feeling more comfortable with the other woman, at least in this environment where they were still mostly on equal footing. Things would be different once Rose was on the ship as a crew member, she was sure.

“Maybe a bit, but it was still an excellent one.”

Rose grinned at the redhead and then headed upstairs to change, stopping for just a moment to talk to Clara in the kitchen and fill her in on what had happened. Then she was out serving drinks and smiles.

Amy watched from the corner, amusement curling the corners of her mouth as she watched her newest crewmember work the room. That’s how Mels, her first mate,  found her when she plopped down on the chair next to Amy’s.

“Took forever to find you. Why are you here instead of at _The Ship Arms_?” she said, crossing her legs and leaning back against the chair in a deceptive, affected sprawl.

“There was an incident. Figured it was a good idea to find a new haunt.”

“An _incident_ ,” Mels parroted with an incredulous smile, white teeth flashing against her dark skin. “Did you stab someone or something? Because usually it’s my job to get in trouble on shore leave. I can’t believe you started without me.”

“I didn’t start it,” Amy protested, turning to face her best friend. “I may have threatened to intervene after someone else started something.”

Mels shook her head with a laugh. “Just like you, Ames.”

Amy’s eyes shifted back to Rose as she settled a fight before it really got started, not even needing to raise her voice in the process.

“Got your eye on someone?” the other woman teased, nudging Amy with her elbow as she followed her gaze..

“Hired a new member of the crew,” the captain answered, ignoring the suggestive tint to Mels’s words.

“Just like that? Thought we were going to start looking tomorrow.”

“She made an impression,” Amy said with a laugh, nodding towards Rose.

“You hired the barmaid?”

“Met her at _The Ships Arm_. She’s the one who started the incident. Some bloke got a bit handsy with her and she slammed him against a wall and had a knife to his throat before I even thought about drawing a weapon.” She chuckled. “It was impressive.”

“And she agreed to join the crew, just like that?”

“She was apparently there to find me and petition for a spot.”

“Interesting,” Mels said, gaze sharpening on Rose as she walked back to the bar. “What’s her name?”

“Rose Tyler.”

Mels swiped Amy’s drink and held it up in a mock toast. “Welcome to _The Red Lady_ , Rose Tyler,” she said, only loud enough for Amy to hear.

She downed the rest of the ale over Amy’s protest and then swaggered up to the bar to get two more.

Before she and Mels left the pub for the night, Amy gave Rose instructions to be at _The Red Lady_ the next afternoon to get situated and start learning the ship.

Rose was still practically vibrating with excitement as she and Clara closed up the tavern for the night.

“And you’re sure about this, Rose?” Clara asked, one last time as Rose lingered in the doorway, ready to leave for the night.

“More sure than I’ve been about anything, Clara.”

Clara pulled her in for a hug, lingering in it. “Just stay safe, okay? I don’t want to write your mother about something happening to you.”

“I’ll do my best, promise.” Rose said.

“And you best come back in here next time you’re in port,” Clara said, pulling back from the hug and giving Rose a faux stern look.

“Of course! You’ll be my first stop.”

“Good. Now get going, you need a good night’s sleep before your first day as a pirate.”

Rose gave her another quick hug and then was out the door, heading back to the docks for one last night aboard the ship that had been her home for a short time.

Despite Clara’s advice, Rose got hardly any sleep. After waking up for the third time while it was still dark outside, she figured it was useless to try and stay in bed. Instead, Rose started cleaning the ship from bow to stern, erasing all signs of her time aboard and leaving her ready for whatever intrepid adventurer might wander onto her deck next.

Once she was finished cleaning, Rose checked her bag, ensuring it was completely packed and ready and then laid down for a quick nap before she had to be at _The Red Lady_. She woke up a bit before noon with none of her usual morning lethargy.

She wasted no time in heading towards the large ship docked on the other side of the docks after making sure everything on her little ship was battened down properly. She would miss being her own master and going wherever she wanted but the siren song of a new adventure ahead dulled that particular ache.

Rose’s heart started pounding as she approached _The Red Lady_. Mels was lounging in a chair next to the gangplank, fiddling with a dagger.

The sound of Rose clearing her throat made her look up. “Rose, right?”

“That’s me.”

“Go on up. Amy should be on deck somewhere and will tell you what you need to do.”

Rose bit down on her bottom lip as she walked up the ramp, trying to keep from grinning like a fool. This was really happening.

Once on deck, she looked around for a flash of red hair, already feeling a bit lost. _The Red Lady_ wasn’t the biggest ship around by any means but she was bigger than any Rose had ever stepped foot on before.

“Ah, Rose! You’re here earlier than I thought you would be.”

Rose turned at the already familiar voice of her captain and watched as she came up from belowdecks, every movement graceful in a way that she envied.

“Was at loose ends this morning and was a bit excited to get here,” Rose admitted, readjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

“Well, I like the excitement. Let me show you to the crew quarters and then I’ll grab someone to give you a tour and get you started learning the ropes.” She flashed a blinding smile at her. “And I do mean that literally.”

Rose giggled and Amy preened.

“I like you. Everyone else groans at that joke. Come along, now.”

Amy led her down belowdecks and into a fairly large room outfitted with hammocks.

“Home sweet home, for you,” she said. “This is the second of two girls rooms. The other is the next room down. The boys are a few rooms aft. Only me and Mels have private quarters. If I heard correctly, the girls left you the hammock by the door since you’re the newbie.”

“Fine by me.”

“Good. Most of the crew is still on shore leave but I think Sally is around here somewhere. I’ll find her and send her here to show you around and get you started.”

“Thanks for giving me this chance,” Rose said as Amy turned to leave. “I really appreciate it.”

“I’m glad you were interested in the opportunity,” Amy responded with a smile. “Hopefully you still appreciate it next week when you’re sore and tired.”

Rose just laughed and Amy took that opportunity to slip back out in the hallway, leaving her on her own. She had just finished stowing her belongings in a similar manner to what she saw others had when a throat clearing alerted her to someone else’s presence.

The woman was a delicate kind of pretty with mousy brown hair and a nice smile and Rose didn’t think she looked like a pirate at all but the ease with which she walked with a sword at her side and the battered sheath it resided in spoke volumes about how appearances could be deceiving.

She introduced herself as Sally Sparrow and took Rose on a tour of the ship. She told anecdotes about the crew as they walked and promised to introduce Rose around when people were back aboard.

Rose shadowed Sally for the rest of the day, learning some basics about what she was going to be expected to do at the beginning.

By the time _The Red Lady_ set sail the next day with her namesake captain at the helm, Rose had a few new friends and a rudimentary understanding of the masts and sails. Her heart thrilled as they glided onto the open water and towards the horizon.

This was a new adventure, a new beginning, and she was more than ready to see where it led her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Doctor sailed into the port of Leadworth as the sun set. He quickly went about the business of securing his boat in a slip and then headed into town. It was too late to do the shopping and restocking that he needed to do while here but it was just about the right time to get a drink.

It had been a while since he’d been in Leadworth so he wandered down a few streets, glad for the heavy weight of his leather jacket as the breeze coming in off the ocean turned cold with nightfall. The glow and muted noise from a tavern called _The Rose and Crown_ drew in and he entered the establishment.

It was busy but not overly crowded and John quickly found a seat on one of the barstools, surveying the place as he waited to order a drink. It was a warm and inviting environment and the patrons seemed to be a mixture of sailors like him who were just passing through and Leadworth locals. That boded well for the quality of his drink if he ever got to order one.

As if his thought summoned the barmaid, the petite brunette in a green dress he’d seen doing most of the work in the tavern so far appeared in front of him.

“What can I get for you?” she asked with a smile.

“Whiskey, if you’ve got it.”

“We’ve got whatever you want,” she answered with a wink. She turned and grabbed a glass from behind her and then reached under the bar for a bottle of whiskey.

“Bit busy tonight for you being the only one working,” he commented as she poured him a measure.

Clara sighed. “My best girl ran off to become a pirate earlier today and I haven’t found anyone to replace her yet.” She eyed him critically as she pushed the glass towards him. “You looking for some temporary work, sailor? You wouldn’t look half bad in a dress and there’s some around here who like that kind of thing. Takes all sorts, you know.”

John knew the smile on his face was more like a grimace and probably twenty different kinds of awkward. “Um, no thanks.”

“Suit yourself.” The impish smile on her face told him that she had mostly been kidding.

When she came back to see if he was ready for another drink, he struck up a conversation again.

“You said your girl ran off to be a pirate?”

Clara’s mouth twisted into a sad smile. “Wasn’t really my girl, just worked here for a bit.”

“Ah.”

“But yeah, she sailed in here on her own, worked for me for a bit to earn some money, and then left with the pirate ship that just sailed out earlier today.”

John mused for a moment. “Was it _The Red Lady_? The ship?”

Clara pursed her lips, thinking. “Yeah, that sounds right. Pretty sure that’s what Rose said. I may work in a port town but I’m hopeless with ships and anything associated with them.”

John was going to push for a confirmation, fairly sure the woman knew more than she was letting on but someone called for Clara from the other end of the bar. She flashed John one more quick smile and went back to work.

He stared into his drink after she left, mulling over the information he'd gleaned. He had halfway been hoping to catch up to _The Red Lady_ at some point.

Captain Pond was supposed to be one of the best and he wouldn't have minded spending some time on her crew while he figured out how to best going about getting a ship and crew of his own back.

He tossed the rest of whiskey back and reached across the counter to deposit payment where it wouldn't be swiped by another patron before the brunette, who he assumed was the tavern owner, could get to it.

John stepped back out into the chilly air and headed back towards his stolen ship. There was no time to lament lost opportunities. He always had been one for making his own destiny the hard way and getting back to a captaincy wasn't going to be any different.

He stepped onto the wooden slats of the main dock and started scanning for his small ship in the darkness. John was starting to think that he was looking in the wrong area when his eyes alit on a very familiar silhouette bobbing gently on the water.

“You've got to be kidding me,” he said flatly to the empty night.

It was his ship - the one that had been stolen while he was briefly incarcerated in Powell. He'd calculated the odds of ever seeing it again to be astronomically against him but here it was.

Pausing only to make sure the knife in his boot was loose and easy to draw, the Doctor boarded his stolen ship, ready to steal it back if he had to.

He was silent on the familiar deck and quickly determined that there was no one aboard. It looked like whoever had been sailing it had taken good care of her and had moved on recently, judging from the lack of dust on anything. There was no food or personal items lying about either. In fact, the whole ship was near spotless like whoever had occupied her wanted to make her perfect for the next sailor to board.

John smiled as he ran his fingertips over the wall of the sleeping quarters. He'd missed this quaint little ship.

He went to the ship he’d been sailing for the past month and a half and grabbed his bedroll and a few items that he liked to keep close before heading back to his newly reacquired ship to get some sleep.

As he crawled into bed, John knocked his pillow off the bed and then further under the bed when he tried to grope for it without getting up.

Grumbling, he rolled back out of bed and dropped to his hands and knees to look under the bed. His pillow was there along with a couple of hair pins that were definitely not his. Curious to see if the thief had left behind any other clues to their identity, he fetched the lit lantern from the nightstand and let the light shine on the shadowy space beneath the bed.

The only other thing that had been left behind in this forgotten space was a small bronze brooch inset with red glass stones. The lattice work and the stones formed a simple rose. The piece didn’t look particularly valuable but it looked carefully polished, like it had meant something to its owner.

John set it on the nightstand and watched it twinkle in the lantern light for a few seconds before leaning over and dousing the lantern for the night.

 


	5. Camaraderie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose makes friends, deals with a crush, and starts a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i have returned after a six month absence! have some more pirates!  
> ALSO, a reminder that this will be Nine/Rose, I promise. We're getting there, but this is a Rose-centric fic and Rose is bi in this.

"Come on, Luce. You said we were going to practice today," Rose wheedled, bouncing on her toes in front of Lucie's hammock. The other blonde was laying there with her arm over her eyes, trying her hardest to ignore her friend.

"I'm pretty sure I'm still sore from practicing with you a week ago. See if Danny wants to, I know he wanted to sharpen his knife skills."

Rose rolled her eyes. "That's not much practice for me, though."

"Not my problem. My problem is I haven't gotten a proper amount of sleep in a week and I'm working on fixing that. Go find someone else to threaten to cut into ribbons or something," Lucie said.

Rose sighed and walked off, fingers dancing along the hilt of one of the knives she kept at her hip. It had been two months since she'd joined the crew of  _ The Red Lady _ and she felt like she had found another home. She was always sore and tired and sunburned but she was happy. 

Rose had made friends with the rest of the crew quickly enough, especially once they knew that she wasn't going to shirk her part of the work and learned that she always had a smile for anyone.

Mels had been one of the last ones Rose won over but after they were back to back on a merchant ship, Mels's sword flashing in the sun in tandem with Rose's knives as they had subdued some sailors, she'd warmed up to her. Being good with weapons was much apparently much higher on the first mate's list of prerequisites to friendship than being good at listening.

Rose climbed the ladder that led to the top deck. She'd been down in the bowels of the ship all day taking inventory of their supplies before they made port in the next few days and she was ready to feel the sun on her face.

She blinked against the bright light reflecting off the water and looked around to see who was above deck. Amy was up on the quarterdeck, having a conversation with Sally and Bill was aloft, moving surefootedly among the riggings, checking knots and ropes. There were a few others attending to various work around the deck but none who looked at liberty to fight with Rose. 

"You look bored, Tyler."

Rose jumped and spun around. Mels was leaning against the ship's railing with a glint in her eye that Rose had quickly learned meant she was looking for trouble.

"Might be." She cocked her head to one side, considering. She put her hand back on the hilt of her knife. "Was looking for someone to practice with. You game?"

Mels grinned. "Only if I can use my sword."

"Your sword versus my knives?"

"Deal."

If Amy had been looking, she would have seen the twin grins on the faces of her first mate and crewmember and known that there was about to be trouble. There was no way for there not to be with the two of them so eager to pull their blades.

Mels and Rose moved to the empty space in the middle of the deck that was often used as a practice ground on days when the sailing was smooth and the work light. The metallic sound of The metallic hiss of Mels's sword clearing its sheath made Rose's blood hum. She quickly unsheathed two knives and settled into a ready stance.

Mels flashed a grin, wild and bright and then her sword was swinging through the air. It came down on Rose's crossed knives with the ringing clash of steel on steel. 

Rose's grin matched her opponent's. Not waiting for her to make another move, Rose twisted out from under Mels's sword, slashing outward with her right hand as she did.

Mels leaned back just as the tip of Rose's knife nipped her shirt.

"Quick one, aren't you?" She asked, before repaying the swipe with one aimed at Rose's knees. 

Rose didn't answer, just danced out of the way and made a move with her left hand. Mels parried it and swung her sword in the opposite direction, arcing towards Rose's side. 

The clash of blades drew the attention of their crewmates and before long there was a small crowd watching from near the railings as Mels and Rose traded blows, dancing around each other and looking for an opening.

A good portion of them had practiced with Rose over the past two months and had a healthy respect for her skill with knives that had only improved since she came aboard. Gwyneth had been the one to teach her how to fight with a knife in each hand but Rose could best her in every bout now.

Mels was almost legendary with her sword. The only one who could occasionally beat her was the captain and they didn’t practice together often. It was rare that anyone on board took on Mels so it was no surprise that this fight drew attention.

Amy finally looked over to see who was practicing when the shouts of her crew grew louder and cursed quietly when she saw who was fighting.. Her eyes went wide as she watched Mels sweep her blade towards Rose’s arm, only for Rose to block her with her own blade. Amy winced, knowing first hand how jarring it was to block a swing that hard.

“Captain?” Sally asked, unsure if the curse was directed at her or not.

“Those two are going to hurt somebody. Probably themselves,” she said, gesturing at the fight below them on the main deck. “I’m going to go stop them.”

Sally pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, silently wishing Amy luck as the captain strode towards the stairs down to the main deck.

Rose and Mels didn’t even notice the crowd around them nor did they notice their captain shouldering her way through it until she was just out of reach of their blades. 

Amy let out a shrill whistle that made both combatants freeze. 

“Having fun?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

“Yes,” Mels replied instantly, eyes sparkling.

Amy rolled her eyes. “Well, if you’re done flirting, I’m sure I can find something for you both to do that doesn’t involve potentially injuring each other.”

“I wasn’t flirting,” Rose protested as she sheathed her knives.

Amy gave her skeptical look and then nodded at Mels. “She was.”

Mels just smiled the same smile she had while they were fighting, all fire and no apology.

Rose bit her lip and looked away, blush staining her already pink cheeks.

Mels pushed on her shoulder. “Next time, I’m teaching you how to use a sword.”

That drew a full-fledged grin out of Rose. “Deal.”

Amy sighed dramatically and Mels turned and slung an arm around the captain’s shoulders. “Alright Cap, what do you need me for?” she asked. As they walked off, Amy talking now, Mels looked back over her shoulder to wink at Rose.

Bill bumped Rose’s hip, having come down from the rigging during the fight. “That was wicked,” she said, eyes on the retreating form of Mels. “I’d die if she flirted with me.”

Rose hipchecked her back. “That’s because you’d be too busy waxing poetic about her eyes to pay attention to the sword heading at your side.”

Bill just grinned. “That’s true,” she admitted. “What a way to go, though.”

Rose laughed and tugged on Bill’s arm. “Come on, I’m hungry and Wilf promised to save me something in the galley.”

“You just charm everyone, don’t you?” Bill said, following Rose to the ladder.

Rose looked back at her and fluttered her eyelashes. “It’s a natural born talent, darling,” she said in an exaggerated posh accent.

They were both giggling as they headed towards the galley.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A month more at sea saw  _ The Red Lady _ in a new port. Rose posted another letter to her mum with some of her share of the money their ship had gained in the last few weeks. She posted another one to Clara, telling her that she was expecting to be back in Leadworth in another month or so and that she hoped she was doing well.

With the rest of the money, Rose stocked up on extra food and clothing and then went out to a tavern with Bill and Lucie. Three months together as crewmates and partners in battle had turned them into fast friends, thick as the thieves that they were.

They were well into their second or third ales when Lucie smacked Rose on the arm, startling her. “If you don’t stop staring at our captain across the bar, someone besides us is going to notice,” she said. 

“I wasn’t!”

“You so were,” Bill said. “Not that I blame you. She is one hell of a woman.”

Bill’s eyes drifted over to Amy as well and Lucie reached across the table to smack the top of her head.

“You two are hopeless,” Lucie declared. “Are either one of you going to be any help in finding me a man to spend shore leave with?”

“You’re on your own there, mate,” Bill said with a snort.

Rose raised an eyebrow and nodded to Lucie’s left. “Tall, dark, and handsome at the bar has been looking this way for a few minutes. Pretty sure he’s got his eye on you.”

Lucie turned and gave the man her best flirtatious smile. When he smiled back Lucie looked at Rose and Bill again. “Thanks, Rose. I’ll be back on the ship day after tomorrow. Don’t come looking for me before then.”

She drained the rest of her ale, adjusted her tits in the dress she always wore on shore leave and then sauntered over to the man at the bar.

Bill shook her head and smiled as Lucie essentially introduced herself with a kiss and then turned back to Rose. “I don’t suppose you can find me a girl in this tavern? Work your magic?”

“What magic?”

“Oh come on, you just set Lucie up with someone in five seconds flat! That definitely counts as some sort of magic.”

Rose laughed and looked around the tavern. Her eyes finally settled on a petite brunette in the front corner who almost reminded her of Clara. “Back in the corner, brunette in the yellow dress. She’s looked over at you multiple times. Stops short of staring but keeps looking back. Might have a shot with her.”

Bill smiled over at the girl and then grinned when the brunette blushed and looked away. “Cheers,” she said, turning back to Rose and clinking their glasses together. “Told you you were working magic.”

“Yeah, yeah, go get your girl,” Rose said.

“What about you? You going to find someone tonight?”

Rose shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Well, have fun. Be safe,” Bill said.

“You too!”

Rose watched until her friend was sitting with the brunette and talking before turning her attention back to her drink. She really had no intention of finding somebody tonight but she also didn’t want her friends to worry about her. Her fingers subconsciously went to rub the rose brooch that used to adorn her coat before she remembered once again that it was lost, left in Leadworth somewhere.

She slowly sipped her beer and trying not to let her eyes slip back over to where Amy was holding court in the back corner of the tavern, Mels by her side as they met with potential new crew members. Rose knew it was a fruitless crush but that didn’t make it any easier to ignore. Amy was gorgeous and smart and ruthless and practically one with the sea and Rose really couldn’t help it.

She certainly wasn’t going to do anything about it though. Amy was her captain and her friend and so unbelievably off limits. Rose glanced over to the corner one more time and saw Amy’s brow furrow as she talked to someone Rose couldn’t quite make out.

Amy looked up and made eye contact with Rose, waving her over. She left her half-finished ale on the table and headed over to the captain’s table.

“Rose, this is Tommy and he’ll be joining the crew.” Amy said once Rose was at the table. “Would you mind taking him back to the ship and showing him where he can bunk? I know it’s the first night of shore leave but I’d really appreciate it.”

“Sure thing, Captain. I don’t have plans for the night anyways.”

Amy smiled at her and Rose’s heart gave a traitorous thump. Maybe she really should look into finding someone on one of these shore leaves.

“Come on then, Tommy, I’ll show you where we’re docked.” Rose said. She looked at the man, a boy really. He couldn’t be more than sixteen but he had a determined look in his eye that Rose recognized.

“You from around here?” Rose asked. They were only halfway to the ship and neither of them had said a word up to this point.

“Guess so,” he said with a shrug.

“You know, I ran away too,” Rose said. “Was on my own for a bit before I joined Captain Pond’s crew.”

“How do you know I ran away?” Tommy asked, sounding almost scared.

“Look in your eye,” she answered with a shrug. “And the fact that Amy is having you stay the night onboard. She only does that if someone doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Could’ve found somewhere,” he mumbled.

Rose bumped his shoulder. “No need. You’re part of the family now, Tommy lad. We take care of each other.”

“You won’t tell anyone else I ran away, will you?”

“I won’t breathe a word of it,” she promised. 

The silence was of an easier variety for the rest of the walk. When she stopped in front of  _ The Red Lady _ , she looked over at Tommy and smiled at the awe on his face.

“Come on then, Tommy. Up we go.” She waved hello to Jamie who was guarding the ship tonight and herded Tommy up the gangplank.

“A tour won’t do you much good in the dark so let’s just get you to the men’s quarters and then I should be around to give you a proper tour tomorrow, if you’d like,” Rose said.

“That’d be good,” he said. “I don’t really know much about sailing.”

Rose reached over and tousled his hair, startling a smile out of him. “We’ll find something for you to do while we train you up, don’t you worry. Now, let’s get you settled.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

John absently rubbed his thumb over the rose shaped brooch in his pocket as he wandered through town. It hadn’t seemed right to toss something that was obviously cherished by someone, even if he didn’t know whose it was, so he had just kept it. He didn’t know what it was about the little pin, but having it seemed to ground him in some way.

This was his fifth stop in as many weeks and there was still no sign of the ship he was looking for, the one he used to be captain of. The little ship he had was fine and dandy but he missed having a crew or being a part of a crew, missed having someone around to pull him out of his own head and see the sights with.

He didn’t even know if the ship was still around but he had nothing better to do at the moment other than look for it. He’d all but given up on finding  _ The Red Lady _ . She always seemed to be one step ahead of him so he’d stopped chasing her.

For now, John was content. He had no one to answer to but himself and the winds and tides and that was enough for now. He dropped the envelope of money he’d taken off a drunk nobleman last week into the mailbox of the local orphanage and turned to head back to his ship, his leather-coated silhouette fading into the shadows.


End file.
